Clothing retailer Joe Fresh has recently opened a new store in New York. The flagship store covers 14,000 square feet and is situated at the ‘Crystal lantern’ bank branch. The building is completely transparent, with windows 27 feet high to maximise views. The shop fittings are all free standing rather than being drilled into the floors and walls; this, so that the historic features could be protected.
Joe Fresh presents an affordable range of stylish clothing for all the family, with more than 300 stores in Canada stocking the range. In 2011, the clothing and accessories brand entered the US, with stores in Long Island, New Jersey and now New York. The interior of the building has been designed to create an impression of weightlessness, almost floating. The merchandising units are free-floating and sculptural to enhance the lightness of the building. Wardrobes have been designed especially for the store so that they can be moved, reconfigured and arranged to keep the collections separate. A separate colour story has been assigned to each display to enhance the clothing ranges.
To maximise the lighting effect, the wardrobes have been made from metal which has been powder coated in white. The wardrobes incorporate mirrors, billboards and monitors, with runway and art shows to enhance the merchandise. Retail merchandising units and other shop fittings used in the new store are all contemporary in design, with attention paid to detail. The materials for the shop fittings are all simple but given a twist to achieve maximum effect.